Embleton

When looking for a hotel in Embleton, the village’s history offers a concrete thematic framework. Church architecture, a memorial, former industries, and a circular walk through Embleton Valley provide different points of interest. This can help you decide which themes you would like to focus on when planning your trip. The recorded dates range from a medieval reference to industries that continued into the 20th century.

Building history spanning several periods

St Cuthbert’s Church brings together several building phases. The church was built in 1806, probably on the site of a medieval chapel. As Embleton Church, St Cuthbert’s, it was rebuilt in 1813 and 1884. Its history therefore includes both the cautiously phrased connection to an older chapel and two later rebuilding dates. The Blue Bell Inn represents a different type of building: it is an inn dating from the early 18th century, with alterations from the late 19th century. Embleton Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1863. These dates therefore mark different periods and interventions, not a single continuous building phase.

A medieval connection is also associated with Embleton Manor: it was transferred to Orme de Ireby in 1195. This information adds to the chronology of the later church and building history without claiming that Orme de Ireby used it or stayed there.

Commemoration and materials at Embleton Cross

Embleton Cross stands in the front churchyard and commemorates the First and Second World Wars. Its materials are also described precisely: the cross is made of local Embleton granite, set on a plinth of Buttermere slate and a tapering granite base. Its location, commemorative function, and materials provide different points of reference for understanding this monument. It is a separate memorial alongside the building history of St Cuthbert’s Church.

Traces of former industries

Granite quarrying at Close Quarry, also known as Embleton Quarry, began in 1907 and ended in 1950. Other named locations preserve traces of further activities from the area’s industrial history: drainage tiles were made at Hundith Hill in the mid-19th century. Lead mining was carried out on a short-term basis near Stanley Hall from 1853 to 1860. The time periods distinguish these industries from one another: lead mining was limited to a few years, while granite quarrying continued until the mid-20th century. Drainage tile production, in turn, dates to the mid-19th century.

Further historical traces in the surrounding area

The surviving west side of Embleton Moat is 126 feet long, with short returns preserved at both ends. Further afield, outside Close Farmhouse, stands an early 19th-century milestone erected for the Cockermouth-Keswick Turnpike. Also further afield, Mill House is an early 19th-century house that served as the home of the miller of the adjacent mill. The milestone points to a turnpike, while Mill House indicates the former residential function associated with a mill building: these two details add different architectural contexts to the church and industrial history.

Circular walk through Embleton Valley

A circular walking route from Riggs Cottage passes through Embleton Valley and returns via Wythop Mill. This allows you to include the landscape in your travel plans without conflating the walk with the historic building and industrial traces. Route conditions may change, so check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Appleby-In-Westmorland, Burneside, Bowness-on-Solway, Tebay, Thirlmere, Lowick, Lupton, Applethwaite.

For the main travel overview: Cumbria.